The present invention relates to a sugar-containing composition useful in topical applications having enhanced storage stability and a method for imparting the storage stability to the composition.
One of the primary factors which determines the practical usefulness of a topical cream composition is storage stability. Lengthening of the "shelf life" of a cream prior to the onset of composition separation or crystallization offers obvious advantages such as ease of inventory management, reduction of waste incurred in disposing of creams which are no longer active and removal of the additional burden and uncertainty involved in re-mixing a composition prior to application in cases where this procedure is possible Additionally, when the topical cream is being utilized as a medicament, a further advantage of reduction of inadvertant administration of a composition which can no longer perform its intended function is obtained.
Storage stability of the presently claimed composition is particularly difficult due to the presence of relatively high amounts of sugar in the cream. Sugar compounds are known to dissolve in almost anything having a high moisture content. Obviously, a high moisture content is undesirable for a topical cream composition.
As a result, much effort has been put forth in an attempt to increase the storage stability of topical compositions. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,149 issued to Winicov et al. on June 2, 1981, 4,401,651 issued to Knutson on Aug. 30, 1983 and British Pat. No. 2,084,464 issued to Beta Medical Products Ltd. on Apr. 15, 1982.